This invention is an improvement on the motor operated spinning reel of U.S. Pat. No. 3,248,819, which discloses a spinning reel driven by an electric motor, in turn supplied with current by a series of batteries. There is a casting button which is pushed forwardly to move a winding cup forwardly from a spool, so that a pickup finger will no longer extend beyond a winding cup flange, and, for casting purposes, a winding button which is pushed forwardly to cause the winding cup and extended pin to rotate about the spool for winding purposes. When the winding disc turns, the pressure of a spring moves the cup back to a position in which the inner end of the winding finger climbs a cam nut and is projected from a flange of the cup to pick up the line and wind it on the stationary spool. After casting, if a fish is hooked, the winding button may be pressed to start the motor until the pin engages the cam and is extended and then released so that the gearing between the drive motor and the winding cup, as well as the motor, will produce a drag on the line. With an appropriate motor, this drag on the line can be utilized in charging the batteries.
Among the objects of this invention are to provide a novel fishing reel; to provide such a fishing reel operated by a motor which is battery powered but is provided with solar cells for use in charging the batteries; to provide such a fishing reel in which a flanged winding cup is normally placed in a position in which the winding pin is extended, except when casting, so that a drag on the line will be produced when the fish starts pulling the line out of the reel, even when the fish produces a jerk which otherwise would pull the winding pin away from the cam; to provide such a fishing reel in which the amount of current for charging the batteries through the solar cells may be controlled; to provide such a fishing reel which may be provided with a computer which may be controlled to indicate the amount of line released or brought in, such as to show the distance to a fish; to provide such a fishing reel in which the amount of line being cast or retrieved may be measured through rotation of the pickup pin when casting or braking, or movement of the line around the winding cup flange when casting or letting the fish run with the line; to provide such a fishing reel which transfers, as to a computer, by fiber optics, an indication of the number of turns of the line moving on or off the spool, so that each time the pickup finger moves past or the line moves around the cup flange, a measurement indication can be produced, from which the amount of line so moving can be indicated; and to provide such a fishing reel which is readily constructed and efficient in operation.